Gear-shifting mechanism



D. NOBLE.

GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FlLED NOV: 24|19|9. 1,404,049. Patented Jan. 17, 1922 y I lll INVENTOR ATTORNEY D. NOBLEA GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISNI'.

APPLICATION FILED Nov= 24, 1919.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR a/v//M /Vazf ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

QW @M UNITED STAT-,E5

PATENT OFFICE.

enan-snrrrme MEcHANIsM.

Application led November 24, 1919.

To all LU/0m tmag/ concern.'

Be it known that I, DONALD NOBLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut'.A have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear-Shifting Mechanisms, ofV which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to improvements in gear-shifting mechanisms and has `for its primary object to provide a simple, efficient and rapid-shift mechanism ofthis character.

In many types of machines 'employing intermeshing gears automatically shifted into and out of operative relation, itis desirable and often essential to relatively shift the gears practically instantaneously. This condition obtains .particularly in machines employed for winding somematerial upon spools, wherein gear shifting mechanism is employed .to reverse the'direction of movement of the material guiding means. A large majority of the gear Vshifting mechanisms at present in use are slow in operation. and are of cumbersome construction. The present invention obviates these defects inherent in prior constructions.

More specifically, the invention has for an object to provide means for storing energy in one of the gear carrying shafts, which energyis released at the proper time to relatively shift the driving and driven gears.

' Another object of this invention is .to provide adjustable means for predeterminingthe shifting time. i

A further object of this invention is to positively maintain the gears in complete mesh during the entire period of operative engagement and then practically instanta'neously shift the gears relatively. i

A still further object of thisinvention is to provide an improved gear vshiftingmechanism vvwherein adriving gear `.is adapted to operatively engage spaced dr.l Yen gears alternately to rotate a driven shaft in opposite directions.

The invention hasV for another object to provide means for imparting oppositely directed, endwise movements to a reciprocating member from a rotating shaft,rwhich member controls the direction of rotation of said shaft.

Other objects ofthe invention will be ap- Sprecification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 17, 1922.

Serial No. 340,096.

parent from the following description and claims.

yTo the attainment of the several objects of the present invention, the preferred enibodiment thereof comprises a framework in which a drivingshaft is rigidly journaled at one end and is free to move laterally at its opposite end. The laterally movable end of the driving shaft carries a driving gear. and 'a floating journal therefor is afforded by a guide-plate limited to movements in a straight path. The drivingl gear is adapted to operatively engage spaced driven gears alternately, said spaced gears being suitably carried by a hollow` internally-threaded driven shaft. When the driving gear is in operative engagement with either one of the driven gears, the movable end of the driving shaft is laterally displaced off center, thereby placing the Vshaft under tension and storing energy therein.

In order to maintain the driving gear in operative engagement with a driven gear against the action of the tensioned driving shaft during a desired period, there is employed a spring-pressed plunger having a tapered free end adapted to engage anV element projecting from the guide-plate. Threaded into the hollow driven shaft is a screw-shaft, limited to endwise movements and carryingav trip-bar having a plurality of spaced'trip-elements adjustably secured thereto. Projecting into `the path of movement of the trip-elements is a shift-lever operatively connectedV with the springpressed plunger so that when the shift-lever lis actuated by the trip-elements, the plunger is forced to release the shaft. which in its first endeavor to seek its center passes beyond the same allowing the taper-ended plunger to slip past the projecting clement on the guide-plate on the side opposite to its `previous engagement thereof, forcing the is a sectional view in front elevation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper Ypor- Referring to the drawings, an embodi ment of the present invention is illustrated as comprising a framework having a hollow base 1, from which rises the tubular standard 2.v Embracing the upper end of Y the standard 2 is the hub of a support 3 secured upon the standard by means of 'a setscrew 4 threaded into a boss 5l projecting from the hub. Sustained by the support .3 and spaced therefrom by a. supplemental supporting plate 6`is an inverted U-shaped frame 7, which 'together with the plate 6 is secured upon the support by means of screws, as 8. .Y

' Journaled in suitable bearings provided in the base 1 is an actuating shaft, preferably formed in sections to facilitate assembling of the mechanism. One Section 9 of the actuating shaft is held against Vendwise movements by'means of collars, as 10, suitably secured thereupon. rlhe section 9 carries a wormV 11 and is operatively connected by means of a pin 12 with a coupling 13,

vsecured by pin 14 to another section 15 of the actuating shaft, which section may receive rotary movements from any suitable source. Meshing with the worin Y11` is a worm-wheel 16, suitably secured upon the vlower section 17 of a rotar-y driving shaft,

which section of the shaft is rigidly journaled against bodily lateral movement in a bushing 18 suitably secured within vthe standard 2. To further facilitate assembling of the mechanism, the driving shaft is preferably formed in sections, the upper reduced end of the lower section 17 being rigidly connected by means of a'couplinge collar 19 and pins, as 20, with a section 21, which numeral will hereinafter be used to designate the driving shaft as a whole, for the sake of clearness. It will be observed that suflicient space is provided in the standard 2 to permit the'upper end of the driving shaft 21 to move laterally'.

Secured bv a set-screw 22 to the upper end of the driving shaft 21 is the hub '23 of Ya bevelled driving gear 24. The reduced lower end of the hub 23`is journaled in an aperture 25 of a laterally movable guide-V plate 25, sustained by the supporting plate 6. which latter plate is providedwithan elongated aperture 26 -to permit lateral movement of the hub. In order to confine 27, each carrying a guide-roller 28 fitted into elongated apertures, as 29, in the supporting plate 6. It will be observed that the described construction affords a floating fui- `crum for the upper end of the driving shaft.

internally threaded driven jshaft 33.V`V The driven shaft 33 is held against endwise movements by the hubs of spaced ldriven gears 34 and 35 engaging the frame 7, said driven gears being secured upon the driven shaft by set-screws 36 and37. To insurevthat the driven gears are held in the desired spaced relation-upon the driven shaft 33,21

spacing-collar 38 embracing the driven shaft is interposed between the drivenv gears.

Threaded into Vthe driven shaft 33 is a screw-shaft 39, carrying at one end an armV 40 sustaining a guide-rod 41 Vslidingly supportedby a suitable stationary frame 42. This construction evidently limits the screw- -shaft to endwise movements. Adjacent its ends, the screw-shaft 39 carries vertically projectingarms 43 sustaining therebetween a trip-bar 44 secured upon the arms by setscrews, as 45. Adjustably mounted upon the trip-bar 44 and secured by means of set-V screws 46 and 47 are trip-elements 48 and 49, formed with wedge-shaped contacteur- Vfaces 50 and 51. Proj ecting into the path of movement of the trip-elements is one end of a shift-lever 52 of which the opposite end is suitably secured upon a vertical shaft 53V journaled in a bearing provided inl afboss 54 formed in a bracket 55 extending forwardlyy from the frame 7. The shaft 53 carries at its lower end a cylinder 56 formed with a closing'rwall 57 at its forward end. Slidingly mounted within theY .cylinder is a plunger 58 tapered at oneVV en d andV urged in the direction. of the driving shaft21 un der the action of a spring 59 interposed between the plunger andthe Vwall 57. The plunger 58 is limitedfin its'endwise movements and is also prevented from turning by means of a pin 60 carried thereby and projecting into slots, asV 61 (only one of which is shown) formed in opposite sides of the cylinder 56. The lateral movements of the shift-lever 52 are rlimited by adjustable lscrew-studs 62 threaded intoglugs, as 63, rising from the frame-7.

rl`he operation of the mechanism described .is extremely simple. The upperxend of the driving shaft 21 is first forced laterally off center, sufficiently to permit the taper-ended plunger 58 to act, upon the roller 30, carried by the guide-plate 25, and under the action of the spring '59 hold the driving'and one of the driven gears firmly 1n mesh, By inspec- Cro tion of Figs. l and 2 of the accompanying drawings, it will be .seen that the drivinggear 24 is shown as held in mesh with the driven gear 35, by the action of the plunger 5S upon the left-liandside of the roller 30 of the guide-.plate 25. In order to limit the extent of forward movement of the plunger' 5S under the action iof the spring `59, so vas to confine the range of Contact of the plunger with the roller 30 to the taper-'end of the former, the adjustable screw-studs 62 are provided in position to be engaged by the shift-lever 52. The lplunger 58 is therefore held against further advancing movement by a screw-stud 62 on'one'side and the interniesliing gears on the opposite side. Power now being applied to the driving shaft 2l to .rotate the same, in the direction indicated by the arrow inr Fig. l, the driven shaft is iotatedto cause the screw-shaft 89, and con- .ing gears, it is forced endwise against the action of the spring 59 until the point of the plunger is central'ivith thev roller 30. It

will be understood that up tothis time the gears remain firmly in mesh. The energy stored in the -tensioned driving shaft 2l by its displacement off center is now released from the action ofthe plunger, and in its first Vendeavor to seek its center` the shaft passes beyond -tlie same suiiiciently to permit the plunger 5810 sliprpast the center of the -roller 30 iand force ythe driving gear 24 into `mesh with the driven gear 34. This .promptly reverses -the direction of rotation Vof the driven-shaft, causing the screw-shaft 339 to travel in the opposite direction, when the foregoing operation is repeated.

In a commercialembodiment of the present invention, the 'endwise vmovements of the -rod -tl are utilized in a wire-covering machine toactuate a guide-employed to di- :rect the covered 4wire as it is wound upon a spool or cop but-it is apparent that Within the scope of this invention the endwise movementsof the screw-shaft '39 may be otherwise utilized andtliat power may be otherwise-transmitted from the driven gear to another element or elements. yIt is also Ato be yunderstood that 'the vinvention is not'in its entirety limited to a reversingmechanism vas it is primarily a gear-shifting device particular-ly adapted for use in constructions vn-'here it is Aessential 'to obtain an eX- ti'eniely 'rapid gear-shift, positively controlled throughout its operation.

Having thus setforththe nature of the in- `vention, what I i claimherein is- 11. Thecombinationxwith a gear, a carrier therefor, and a second gear adapted to operatively engage said first mentioned gear, of a rotary shaft carrying said second gear adapted to he placed under tension whereby energy is stored therein, and means foi' utilizingenergy stored in the teiisioned shaft to relatively shift the gears.

A 2. The combination with a plurality of spaced driven gears, and a driving geai' adapted to operatively engage said driven gears alternately, of a driving gear carrying shaft adapted to be placed under tension whereby energy is stored therein, and means for utilizing energy stored in the tensioned shaft to relatively shift the driving and driven gears.

The coniljiination with a driven shaft, a plurality of spaced driven gears carried thereby. and a driving gear adapted to operatively engage said driven gears alteriiately, of a driving gear carrying shaft adapted to be placed under tension whereby energy is stored therein, means for maintaining the driving' shaft under tension for a predetermined perio l, and means for ieleasii'ig the tensioned driving shaft to relatively shift the driving and driven gears.

at. The combination with a shaft, a gear carried thereby, and a second gear adapted to operatively engage said iirst mentioned gear, of a rotary shaft carrying said second gear adapted to be placed under tension whereby energy is stored therein, means for placing the second-gear carrying shaft under tension for a predetermined period, and means for releasing the teiisioned shaft to relatively shift the gears.

5. The combination with a driven shaft, a gear carried thereby, and a driving gear Vadapted to operatively engage the driven gear, of a driving gear carrying shaft, means for journaling the driving shaft permitting one end thereof to be resilientlv displaced in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis to store energy therein, and means foiutilizing the stored energy in the resilient-ly displaced shaft to relatively shift the driving and driven gears.

6. In a gear shifting mechanism, the coinbiiiation with driving and driven shafts, and gears carried thereby, of an endwise movable trip-bar, means for iniparting endivise movements to said trip-bai', and operative connections intermediate said trip-bar and one of said gears for relatively shifting said gears at a greater speed than the rate of movement of the trip-bar, said operative connections being constructed and arranged to positively maintain the gears in driving relationship until shifted at said greater speed.

7. In a mechanism for reversing the direction of rotation of a driven shaft, ,in combination` a plurality of spaced gears carried by said shaft, a driving shaft. a gear carried by Saidl driving sha-ft adapted to operatively y movements to said trip-bar, means permitting one end of said driving shaft to be resiliently displaced in a direction transverse to its longitudinal aXis to store energy therein, and operative connections intermediate said tripbar and the resiliently displaced driving shaft for releasing the latter and thereby relatively shifting said gears.

9. In a gear-shifting inechanisnnthe coinbination with a rotary driving shaft, and a gear carried by said diiving shaft, of a holl low-internally threaded driven shaft, a plurality of spaced gears carried by said driven shaft adapted to be alternately engaged by said driving gear, a screw-shaft disposed within and `hield against rotation with the driven shaft whereby endwiseV movements are imparted to said screw-shaft, and operative connections intermediate said screwshaft and saidA driving shaft whereby the endwise movements of the screw-shaft causes relative shifting of the driving and driven gears, said operative connections acting to cause a firmer engagement between the drivingand a driven gear immediately preceding the relative shifting thereof. v

l0. In a gear-shifting mechanism, the coinbination with a rotary driven shaft, a gear carried thereby, and a driving gear adapted to operatively engage said driven geaigvof a driving gear carrying shaft, a journal for the driving shaft permitting oneend of the latter to be resiliently displaced in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis to store energy therein, a plunger adapted to hold the shaft in displaced position, means for yieldingly supporting the plunger, and

Y means for releasing theplungcr to permit the energy stored in sai d shaft to relatively shiftl the gears. f

11. In a gear-shifting mechanism, the combination with a rotary driven shaft, a gear carried thereby, and adriving gear adapted to operatively engage said driven gear, of a driving gear carrying shaft, a' journal for said Ydriving shaft permitting one end of the latter to be resiliently-displaced in a direction transverse-to its longitudinal vaxis to store vrenergy therein, a plunger ladapted toihold theV shaft in displaced position, means for predetermining the holding position of the plunger, means for yieldingly supporting the plunger, and means for releasing the plunger to permit the energy-stored in said shaft to relatively shift the gears.

l2. In a gear-shifting mechanism, in combination, a supporting framework, a driven shaft journaledgtherein, Va gear carried by the driven-shaft, a resilient driving shaft,a journal for said driving shaft permitting resilient lateral movement of one end of said shaft'relative toits other end, a gear carried'by said driving shaft adapted to operatively engage the driven gear, means for rotating said driving shaft, and means for automatically displacing the laterally movable end of the resilient shaft to relatively shift the gears.

13. In a gear shifting mechanism, in combination, a' supporting framework, a driven 85 shaft journaled therein, a gear vcarried by the driven shaft, a driving shaft, a gear carried by the driving shaft, a rigid journal for one end of said driving shaft, means for rotating said driving shaft, a laterally movable guide-plate affording'a journal for the opposite end of said driving shaft, a plunger having a vtapered end, means for yieldingly causing said plungerto hold the movable end of the driving yshaft in laterally displaced position, and means brought into operation by the rotation of the driving shaft for releasing the latter to relatively shift the gears. l 'v lill In a gear-shifting mechanism, in coin- 100 bination, a supporting framework, a driven shaft journaled therein, a gear carried by the driven shaft, a driving shaft, a gear carried by the driving shaft, a rigid journal for one end of said driving shaft, means for rotating said driving shaft, a laterally movable guide-plate affording a journal for the opposite end of said driving shaft, a plunger. means for yieldingly causing said plunger to hold the movable end of theV 110 driving shaft in laterally displaced position,

van endwise movable screw-shaft, means for moving said screw-shaft endwise during the rotation of said driven shaft, and operative `connections between the'screw-shaft and said 115 -for one endof said driving shaft, a laterally movable guide-plate affording a journal for the opposite end of said driving shaft, a plunger, means for yieldingly causing said .plunger to hold the .movable end .of the i730 driving shaft in laterally displaced position, a screw-shaft disposed within and held against rotation with the driven shaft whereby endwise movements are imparted to said screw-shaft, a trip-bar carried by said screw-shaft, adjustable trip-elements mounted upon said trip-bar, a shift-lever projecting into the path of movement of the trip-elements, and means whereby movement of the shift-lever releases the driving shaft from the plunger to relatively shift the driving and driven gears.

16. In a gear-shifting mechanism, in combination, a lsupporting framework, a hollow internally-threaded driven shaft journaled therein, a plurality of spaced gears carried by the driven shaft, a driving shaft, a gear carried by the driving shaft adapted to operatively engage the driven gears alternately, a rigid journal for one end of said driving shaft, means for rotating said driving shaft, a laterally movable guide-plate affording a journal for the opposite end of said driving shaft, a plunger, means for yieldingly causing said plunger to hold the movable end of the driving shaft in laterally displaced position, a screw-shaft disposed within and held against rotation with the driven shaft whereby endwise movements are imparted to saidscrew-shaft, and operative connections between the screw-shaft and said driving shaft for releasing the latter from the plunger to shift the driving gear from operative engagement with one driven gear into like engagement with the lease said gears, and adjustable means for limiting movement of the plunger in the opposite direction.

18. In a gear-shifting mechanism, the combination with driving and driven shafts,

and gears carried thereby, of operative connections for shifting said gears into and out of driving relationship, said operative connections includlng means to cause a firmer engagement between the driving and driven gears immediatelyV precedinof the relative shifting thereof from driving engagement,

and including means to then cause a practically instantaneous relative shifting thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DONALD NOBLE. 

